shipboard, and their first words were of amused admiration for the Oriental richness of Julius Felborn's office. It was evident that, whatever their secret preoccupations were, both wished to seem interested in their bizarre surroundings and in my success which they had come to promote. I made them sit down in the two most luxurious chairs the room possessed. Thus seated, their backs were toward the safe, and the light filtered becomingly through thin gold silk curtains on to their faces. I placed myself opposite, on an oak bench under the window. If the door of the safe moved, I could see it over the fashionable small hats of the ladies with their haloes of delicate, spiky plumes. 

 When I got past generalities I blurted out, "I've a confession to make. I won't excuse myself or explain, because when I've finished—though not till then—you'll understand. On shipboard I talked of my book, and told you it was called The Key, but I didn't tell you that the title and one incident in the story were suggested—forgive my startling you—by the murder of Perry and Ned Callender-Graham." 

 "Oh!" exclaimed Grace, half rising, "you asked us here to tell us that? It doesn't seem like you, Lord John." 

 "Give me the benefit of the doubt and hear me to the end," I pleaded, grieved by her stricken pallor and look of reproach as she sank into the chair again. Marian was pale also, even paler than usual, but her look was of anger, therefore easier to meet. 

 "You must not use the word 'murder,'" she commented, a quiver in her voice.  "Your doing so shows that you've very little knowledge of the case." 

 "I beg your pardon," I said.  "On the contrary, it precisely shows that I have knowledge of it. The brothers were murdered by the same hand, in the same way, and for the same motive." 

 Marian rose up, very straight and tall.  "It would be more suitable to give your theories to the police than to us. I cannot stay and let my niece stay to listen to them." 

 "I shall have to give not my theories, but my knowledge, my proof, to the police," I warned her; "only it's better for everyone concerned for you to hear me first." 

 "You've brought us to this place under false pretences!" Marian cried, throwing her arm around the girl's waist.  "It's not the act of a gentleman. Come, Grace, we'll go at once." 

 "For your own sakes you must not go," I insisted.  "If you stay and hear me 

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